Yusufeli

Roaring white-water rafting rapids on the Çoruh River and Georgian church ruins at İşhan define Yusufeli. Its crowning natural attraction is the Çoruh River (Çoruh Nehri)—globally celebrated as one of the world's top 10 white-water rafting and canoeing rivers.

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2 days
avg. stay
Very
safety
9.2/10
transit
May to
best time

Tourist experience

Roaring white-water rafting rapids on the Çoruh River and Georgian church ruins at İşhan define Yusufeli. Its crowning natural attraction is the Çoruh River (Çoruh Nehri)—globally celebrated as one of the world's top 10 white-water rafting and canoeing rivers. Visitors can explore the new Yusufeli Dam Reservoir Lake, tour the 10th-century İşhan Cathedral with its carved stone domes and frescoes, or visit the historic Barhal Monastery. Gastronomy features organic Çoruh valley fruits, fresh river trout, and local mountain honey.

Local Specialties

Fresh Çoruh River TroutYusufeli Olives & FruitsKuymakSillor

Key Landmarks

Yusufeli Dam Wallİşhan Cathedral DomeNew City Center

Where to Eat

New Yusufeli Town Center Restaurants

Living Snapshot

Cost of Living
Moderate
Expat-Friendliness
High
Neighborhood Character
100% Brand-New Master-Planned CityHydroelectric PowerhouseRafting GatewaySafe & Modern

Key points of interest

Yusufeli Hydroelectric Dam & Lake Reservoir (275m Wall)
Yusufeli Hydroelectric Dam & Lake Reservoir (275m Wall)
Türkiye's highest dam (275m height) and 5th highest globally, creating a massive new mountain lake reservoir.
Çoruh River International White-Water Rafting Gorge
Çoruh River International White-Water Rafting Gorge
World-famous mountain river gorge offering international white-water rafting, kayaking, and canoeing.
İşhan 10th-Century Georgian Cathedral
İşhan 10th-Century Georgian Cathedral
10th-century Bagratid Georgian stone cathedral featuring ornate carved relief domes, apses, and frescoes.
Barhal (Altıparmak) Medieval Stone Monastery
Barhal (Altıparmak) Medieval Stone Monastery
10th-century stone monastery church set at the foot of the Altıparmak Kaçkar mountain peaks.

Investment outlook

Yusufeli commands an impressive Transparent Investment Score of 91.2/100, recognized as Türkiye's premier hydroelectric energy, extreme river rafting eco-tourism, and master-planned relocated city real estate investment market. Driven by massive public infrastructure investment and rising lake-reservoir eco-tourism, residential and commercial properties in the new master-built city offer strong appreciation. Residential buy prices average $1,150/m² with rapid annual appreciation (~46.2% YoY in USD). All building stock is 100% brand-new post-2023 engineered construction.

Investment score91.2/100
real estate yield19/20
demographic dynamism14.2/15
economic diversity sege8.8/10
tourism growth capacity23.5/25
infrastructure transport19.5/20
economic seasonal risk adjustment6.2/10

Living here

Residing in relocated Yusufeli represents a unique, modern, safe, and highly structured lifestyle built on elevated valley hillsides overlooking the new dam lake. Neighborhoods feature brand-new master-planned apartment compounds, modern schools, government centers, and clean mountain air.

History & cultural identity

Yusufeli, set along the dramatic mountain gorges of the Çoruh River in southern Artvin, holds a monumental ancient Caucasian, 10th-century Bagratid Georgian, and hydroelectric engineering history. Serving in the 10th century as a royal cultural realm of the Kingdom of Tao-Klarjeti, the district is home to world-famous medieval stone cathedrals like İşhan Cathedral and Barhal (Altıparmak) Monastery. In 2023, Yusufeli entered a monumental new era with the completion of the Yusufeli Dam and Hydroelectric Power Plant—Türkiye's highest dam (275m wall height) and the 5th highest in the world—which created a spectacular new lake reservoir and modern relocated master-planned city.

Frequently asked questions

What is the engineering record of Yusufeli Dam?+

Yusufeli Dam is Türkiye's highest dam and the 5th highest in the world, with a double-curvature concrete arch wall height of 275 meters.

What extreme water sport is Yusufeli world-famous for?+

Yusufeli is globally famous for white-water rafting and kayaking on the rushing Çoruh River, ranked among the world's top 10 rafting rivers.

How far is Yusufeli from Central Artvin and Erzurum?+

Yusufeli is located 70 kilometers south of Central Artvin and 130 kilometers north of Erzurum along a new highway.

Nearby Districts

Other districts in Artvin

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